it's only a few years late being released. ie it was vapourware for years, so I wonder how many months late the delivery is when you order one... some goes for the OQO... ,y advice, stay away from these vapourware/dodgyware products that will die/become obsolete even before they even are finished designing/production...

for 2,000 us?? c'mon. That's a macbook, a linux smartphone and change. This sin't even a serious try.

yeah, the damn OQO originally cost $2000 when it was first released and had no competitors back then, but nowodays, there's plenty of UMPCs to choose from and asking for such a high price is just plain stupid. it's not even the top model out there...

Flipstart PRO:Narrower than a UX, makes the keyboard easier to use.Keyboard is nicer - wider spacing, keys aren't as flushCLAMSHELL.Battery life (~5hrs?)Just small enough to fit in my coat pocket (where the Z is now)Doesn't need docking stationt for the screen to be visible when on a desk.

Sony UX PRO:1gb ramTouchscreenGreat docking station.Newer proc/chipset (Core Solo/945)Price (~1888 CAD)Media slots (CF/MSproDuo)Weight (~520g)Product availability and company commitment to product line (Lots of product refreshes, real international availability. You can buy these things in Canada now - I've played with one in the store!)

Sony UX CON:Form-factor != Clamshell=badbadbadWill not fit in pocket =(Keyboard - closely spaced keys and wide device make thumb-typing a strainNeeds a stand to set it up on a deskBattery Life (~3.5hrs)

I've come to the conclusion that Vulcan is obviously trying to screw with me. The Flipstart as was originally announced is as close to the perfect form factor as you're going to get. Even with the .3in increase in thickness it would be okay, but at 816g it's too heavy. It also lacks a touchscreen, and at this price I weep that it only has 512mb of ram. For $1000 less I could get the same specs in the UX.

On the other hand, the Sony UX has nearly the perfect guts. Light and fast, with a modern chipset and a gig of ram. It's a beautiful thing to use and it has better expansion options. If they made it in a clamshell form factor I'd buy one instantly and never look back. Unfortunately, I don't like the slider form factor much at all, and the keyboard suffers greatly because of it.

Aagh.

I think I'm going to have to buy the Sony now and wait till Vulcan comes out with a V2 of the flipstart. The current one is too heavy and too expensive for what you get. If it had 1gb of ram or was cheaper I could deal with it but, if the leaked specs and price are correct, it'll be a no go for me.

And that genuinely makes me sad. How long is it going to be before someone gets it right?

After watching the slideshow over at the PCMag.com review, I realized that the VaporStart (I mean the FlipStart..) is really just a reincarnation of the lil' ol' 1998 vintage IBM PC110 that I had for a few weeks a year ago!!!

The same 'cute chunky' design, but about twice as heavy....

Thing is that I only paid a few hundred bucks to get the PC110...

As they say, "What goes around, comes around".....

PS. Kahm you should look at that other lil' TPC design that may be coming out in the not too distant future, US702W...seems like it would give the best of both worlds, clamshell or tablet usage....

I took a look at the picture and though "what a dumb photo, there's a drop shadow which makes it look really thick".. and on looking closer realised the bottom case is actually two tone. Or am I seeing things?

This thing is hugely overpriced. You could buy a Kohjinsha (sp?) or a SonyTX or a Sony UX with a Nokia tablet for fun, along with a 3G/GSM/GPRS/EDGE data card and still have change to pay the cellphone data charges for 6 months!

IF this thing had come out two years ago when it would have been the only kid on the block, it might have achieved some market impact, but I think it's just a joke!